A conventional vehicle includes various systems that allow the user, i.e., the driver or passenger, a means of interfacing with the vehicle, specifically providing a means for monitoring vehicle conditions and controlling various vehicle functions. Depending upon the complexity of the systems to be monitored and/or controlled, such a user interface may utilize visual, tactile and/or audible feedback. In a typical vehicle, the systems and conditions that may be monitored and/or controlled by such an interface include climate control (e.g., temperature settings, fan settings, defroster operation, etc.); entertainment system control (e.g., audio source, radio station, audio track, tonal balance, volume, etc.); and the navigation system (e.g., map, destination and route, estimated time of arrival (ETA), miles to destination, etc.).
While the cost of the various controls and subsystems that encompass a vehicle's user interface may make up only a small fraction of the total vehicle cost, the user interface, as the primary source of interaction between the user and the vehicle, is critical to the driver's operation and enjoyment of the vehicle. For instance, a poorly designed or poorly positioned headlight or windshield wiper switch may require the driver to divert attention from the road for an unsafe period of time in order for the driver to turn on the headlights or wipers. In other instances, an overly complex or poorly designed interface, for example an audio or navigation interface, may quickly lead to user frustration and dissatisfaction, and potentially lost car sales.
To insure driver and passenger safety, many primary control systems are designed to guarantee that the driver has at least a passing familiarity with the system's operation. Typically such driver familiarity is achieved by multiple manufacturers using the same type of control system located in approximately the same position. For example, most cars use either a rotating switch or a stalk-mounted switch, mounted to the left side of the steering wheel, to operate the headlights and parking lights. Similarly, most cars use a stalk-mounted switch to the right of the steering wheel to operate the windshield wipers. Although less critical, vehicle system monitors such as the speedometer or tachometer may also be mounted in similar locations by multiple manufacturers, thereby providing the driver with a familiar setting. Unlike the primary control systems, however, the user interfaces for the auxiliary vehicle systems are often the subject of substantial design innovation as different car manufacturers try to achieve an interface that is novel, intuitive and preferably relatively simple to operate. Often times a manufacturer will try to distinguish their vehicles from those of other manufacturers partially based on such an interface. Conversely, a poorly designed interface may be used by the competition to ridicule and devalue a particular vehicle.
In a conventional vehicle, the user interface is actually comprised of multiple interfaces, each interface grouping together those controls necessary to monitor and/or operate a specific vehicle subsystem or function. For example, the controls and display for the audio system are typically co-located as are the controls for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In addition to simplifying subsystem control, co-location of controls allows the manufacturer to utilize a modular approach in which several options for a particular system, e.g., the audio system, may be provided. Not only does this approach simplify upgrades, it also allows the manufacturer to design and build a single subsystem that can be integrated into several different vehicle models.
In the past decade, the advent of dash-mounted monitors has caused a major change in the design of vehicle interfaces. In addition to being used in navigation systems, such monitors allow various information to be communicated to the user as well as providing a novel technique for controlling system functionality. For example, in addition to its use in the navigation system, some vehicles use a multi-page menu approach to provide the driver and/or passenger with control over the audio system, the HVAC system, on-board or Bluetooth® enabled/coupled communication devices, etc. In such an application, either a touch-sensitive display may be used or a non-touch-sensitive monitor may be used with corresponding hard buttons (e.g., mounted around the periphery of the display) or with a mouse-like pointer that allows selection of designated functions.
While conventional vehicles provide a variety of devices and techniques for the driver and/or passenger to control and monitor the vehicle's various subsystems and functions, typically the end user is given no ability to modify or customize the interface to meet their particular needs and usage patterns. Typically if the user wants a particular option, for example a sophisticated audio system, the user must accept the interface that is provided with that option. Additionally, due to the ever-increasing complexity of many vehicle subsystems, user interfaces have become overly complex and sometimes counter-intuitive, resulting in user frustration and disappointment. In some instances where the end-user is either unable or unwilling to learn the intricacies of a particular interface, the user may end up utilizing only a portion of the subsystem's capabilities. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved user interface that overcomes some of the problems and deficiencies of a conventional vehicle's user interface. The present invention provides such a user interface.